Hi Tweeters -

A Curlew Sandpiper was seen by my brother Ron and I (and several other
birders) at Milford Point (CT) today from about 7:15 a.m. (high tide was
at 5:38 in Bridgeport) until about 7:45, when we left. The bird was on a
sandbar, in with a large flock (over 1,000) of semi-palmated sandpipers.
Since the bird was still mostly in its alternate (breeding) plumage, it
was easy to pick out of the flock AS LONG AS HE WAS FACING US! Once he
turned his back, he seemed to vanish into the crowd, although if he
picked up his head, you could see that bright chestnut-red color.

Also seen at Milford Point were American oystercatchers, semi-palmated
plovers, 1 piping plover, laughing gull, least terns, common terns,
ring-billed gulls, herring gulls, great black-backed gulls,
double-crested cormorants, black-bellied plovers, ruddy turnstones, snowy
egrets and great egrets.

Many thanks to Dori Sosensky, the Connecticut birder who first found the
sandpiper and has been diligently spreading the word ever since.

Also today, at Sandy Point in West Haven, CT, 2 Black Skimmers were seen
near the tern colony (both Least and Common Terns nest here) . Red
Knots, Semi-palmated Sandpipers, Semi-palmated Plovers, several Piping
Plovers, Sanderlings, Killdeer, Short-billed Dowitchers, Long-billed
Dowitchers, Ruddy Turnstones, American Oystercatchers, Ospreys, Great
and Snowy Egrets, Great Blue Herons, Ring-billed, Great Black-backed,
Herring and Laughing Gulls were seen, and an American Bittern was heard
calling from the marshy area.

All in all, a great day for shorebirding.

Cathi Pelletier
"East Coast Tweeter"
Waterbury, CT
Heronwing at juno.com